1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a board holder assembly, and more particularly, to a board holder assembly which is configured to support and align a board, such as a joist and/or a rafter, in a generally perpendicular orientation relative to a support member, such as a ledger board and/or a ridge board of a structure, such as a deck and/or a roof frame. The board holder assembly may also be used to support and align a stud when toe-nailing the same to a sole plate.
2. Background Art
Board holder and/or alignment devices have been known in the art for years and have been the subject of numerous United States Patents, including: U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,421 entitled xe2x80x9cBOARD HOLDING DEVICE;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,903 entitled xe2x80x9cAPPARATUS FOR TEMPORARILY SUPPORTING ONE END OF A CROSS PIECE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DECK OR FENCE RAIL;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,172 entitled xe2x80x9cJOIST POSITIONING TOOL;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,230 entitled xe2x80x9cSTUD AND BEAM CLAMP.xe2x80x9d
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,421 discloses a metal board holder used in the construction industry having base and body plate members. Each member has a board receiving U-shaped bracket with nail receiving holes. A base plate adjustment slot can receive one or more threaded body plate member extensions which ride in it to permit plate member adjustments with respect to each other. The body plate member is pivotally mounted to its bracket and has several hinged plate sections, the lowermost of which mounts the threaded extension. Locking nuts engage the threaded extension when it is inserted into the base plate""s slot to fix the plate with respect to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,903 discloses an apparatus which is used to temporarily support one end of a cross piece during construction of a deck or fence rail. The apparatus is in the form of a C-shaped frame having an elongated base plate and a pair of leg plates extending from each end of the base plate. An adjustable clamp member is attached to one of the legs for securing the apparatus to a first vertical beam. A platform is attached to the other leg and receives one end of the cross piece for holding that end of the cross piece in position on one beam while the other end is secured to a second adjacent spaced apart beam. Once a cross piece has been attached to the two adjacent beams, the clamp may be flipped over and the other side of the clamp may be attached to the second beam so that another cross piece may be abutted against the first cross piece and attached between the second beam and a third beam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,172 discloses a tool for positioning and engaging a joist in relationship to a predetermined orientation relative to a cross joint utilized in construction to arrange and orient the first joist in a vertical orientation. The tool comprises a bifurcated head including an internally threaded boss at a rear terminal end thereof to threadedly receive a handle thereon to permit selective replacement of the head to accommodate various width joists. Legs of the head include planar parallel confronting faces and rearwardly tapered side surfaces to effect clearance and enhance visualization in use of the tool. A modification of the invention includes a cross shaft mounted to a rear terminal end of the handle, including spirit level and a series of notches mounted on a top surface of the cross shaft. The notches are cooperative with a spool supporting a plumb level, wherein the series of notches accommodate various head widths of the tool as the plumb level is directed in a spaced adjacent relationship relative to the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,230 discloses a clamp assembly comprising a pair of cooperating L-shaped clamp jaws, interconnected by a draw screw. The jaws are adjustable 360 degrees about each other and are invertable. A shock absorbing block of elastomer material is interposed between the clamp members and compressed thereby against the beams being clamped to securely hold them in a selected position and providing a shock transmitting means resisting displacement of the beams during nailing.
While the above-identified devices do appear to hold and/or align a board member, their configurations remain non-desirous and/or problematic inasmuch as none of the above-identified devices enable a user to quickly and safely secure, and, in turn, hold a board, such as a joist and/or rafter, for subsequent alignment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a board holder device which, among other things, remedies the aforementioned detriments and/or complications associated with the use of conventional board holder and/or alignment devices.
The present invention is directed to a board holder assembly comprising: (a) a base member, wherein the base member is configured for engaging a surface of a board; (b) at least one lip member, wherein the at least one lip member emanates contiguously from the base member, and wherein the at least one lip member is configured for placement upon a support member of a structure; (c) a first side wall and a second side wall emanating contiguously from the base member to form a substantially U-shaped channel for receiving the board therein; and (d) a clamp, such as a lever clamp, associated with at least one of the first and second side walls for releasably securing the board in the substantially U-shaped channel.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one lip member includes two lip members which emanate contiguously from opposite ends of the base member.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first side wall includes a plurality of board engaging tabs which facilitate securement of the board.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first side wall includes a plurality of board engaging tabs which facilitate securement of the board, and the second side wall includes a clamp for releasably securing the board in the substantially U-shaped channel.
In another aspect of the present invention, the first side wall and the second side wall each include a clamp.
Preferably, the first side wall and the second side wall each comprise a trapezoidal cross-section which enables a board hanger to be secured to the board and the support member of the structure while the board is positioned in the substantially U-shaped channel.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first side wall and the second side wall each include an edge emanating at approximately 45 degrees from the base member to a top surface of their respective side walls which enable a board hanger to be secured to the board and the support member of the structure while the board is positioned in the substantially U-shaped channel.
Preferably, the board holder assembly includes components fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, metallic alloys, natural or synthetic plastics, and mixtures thereof.
The present invention is also directed to a board holder device comprising: (a) a base member, wherein the base member is configured for engaging a surface of a board; (b) a pair of lip members, wherein the lip members emanate contiguously from the base member, and wherein the lip members are configured for placement upon a support member of a structure; and (c) a first side wall and a second side wall emanating contiguously from the base member to form a substantially U-shaped channel for receiving the board therein, wherein the first side wall includes a plurality of board engaging tabs, and the second side wall includes a lever clamp, which together cooperatively facilitate securement of the board within the substantially U-shaped channel.
The present invention is further directed to a board holder assembly consisting of: (a) a base member, wherein the base member engages a surface of a board; (b) at least one lip member, wherein the at least one lip member emanates contiguously from the base member, and wherein the at least one lip member is placed upon a support member, such as a ledger board or a ridge board, of a structure, such as a deck or a roof frame; (c) a first side wall and a second side wall emanating contiguously from the base member to form a substantially U-shaped channel having a board retained therein; and (d) a lever clamp associated with at least one of the first and second side walls, which is releasably secured to the board retained in the substantially U-shaped channel.